For the first time since 1978, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne have completed a Black Sabbath studio album.

There have been teases over the last few years. Two new studio tracks were tacked onto the end of their live “Reunion” album in 1998, and the band (along with original drummer Bill Ward) attempted to make an album with producer Rick Rubin in 2001. Why the album never happened isn’t clear, but it probably had something to do with Ozzy’s goofy TV show.

Finally, it was announced roughly a year ago that the original Sabbath members were heading into the studio with Rick Rubin to make an album. Rubin is important to this equation because he has a knack for showing vintage artists (Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond) how to tap into whatever reservoir of magic dust made them special in the first place.

Instead of throwing on the studio sheen and trying to make “13” sound like an album by Linkin Park or Staind, Rubin guided the boys into making a bona fide Black Sabbath album. The tracks routinely break the seven-minute barrier, with studio jam “Damaged Soul” (a song about child abuse) reaching the same heights the band achieved on its jam-heavy debut album in 1970.

With no layers of effects to hide behind, Osbourne turns in his best vocal performance in years. Tony Iommi’s monolithic riffs — particularly on “Live Forever” — are as menacing as ever. The pseudo-acoustic song “Zeitgeist” is obviously a cousin to “Planet Caravan” from the “Paranoid” album, and it comes as a nice palette cleanser between the demolition tunes on either side of it.

That Iommi was able to turn in such a powerful performance while undergoing treatments for lymphoma is nothing short of staggering.

The only thing keeping “13” from getting that fifth rating star is the absence of drummer Bill Ward. According to Ward, the band didn’t offer him a satisfactory contract, while the band insists Ward’s health was an issue. Either way, Ward’s off-kilter drumming style is missed.

Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk was recruited to handle drum duties and fits in quite nicely. Wilk’s playing isn’t quite as loose as Ward’s, but the Sabbath groove is alive, and Wilk’s telepathy during the instrumental sections is spot-on.

Black Sabbath began during the Vietnam era and was one of the first bands to eschew the hippie aesthetic and focus on what was really happening in the world. Things are still pretty screwed up in 2013, so Sabbath’s sound and outlook will never go out of style. Turn it up.

Classic album: Teddy Pendergrass

Page 2 of 2 - Artist: Teddy Pendergrass

Label: The Right Stuff

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Teddy Pendergrass first stepped into the big time when he was recruited to be the drummer for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Eventually, someone heard Pendergrass sing and stuck him in front of a microphone.

With Melvin & The Blue Notes, Pendergrass sang lead vocals on a string of Philly soul hits — including one of the greatest ballads of all time, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Pendergrass left the band in 1976 and his self-titled solo debut appeared in 1977.

Released while disco was still a concern, the “Teddy Pendergrass” album scored a dance-floor hit with “I Don’t Love You Anymore.” As far as disco goes, “I Don’t Love You Anymore” has a beat that doesn’t fall too far from East Coast beach music territory. Pendergrass’ vocals fall somewhere between the gruff soul of The Four Tops’ Levi Stubbs and Richie Havens at his most subtle.

“The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me” is a decent song which is elevated to greater heights through Pendergrass’ gospel inflected performance. This being a Gamble and Huff production, the string section is as thick as molasses in Antarctica, but even an orchestra can’t dampen Pendergrass’ testimonial delivery.

Radio hits aside, album cuts “You Can’t Hide from Yourself” and “Be Sure” stand out as two of Pendergrass’ greatest performances.

Pendergrass’ career would continue to grow and he never looked back to his former band. In rare cases — such as Lionel Richie leaving the Commodores — singers can leave the comfort of a band situation to flourish on their own. Tragedy and health issues would eventually cut Pendergrass’ career short, but what he was able to accomplish while he was here endures.

Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase books and music at jondawson.com.